Fourchette toe hosiery



June 24, 1947. C, A L iBERT 2,422,736

FOURCHETTE TOE HOS IERY Filed Jan. 19, 1946 m vew r0 K Patented June 24, 1947 I UN lT ED ;.,-=STATE s- PATENT F FlCE FOURCHETTE TOE HOSIERY Clare A. LambertpIlos Angeles, Calif. Application January 19, 1946, Serial No. 642,344

2 Claims.

This invention is in the art of making hosiery and consists of an improved toe-fitting hose feature.

Commonly the upper part of the hose foot joins into the toe of the sole in such a manner that a very undesirable acute angle of juncture results and when the toes of the human foot are thrust into the hose there is set up a very objectionable tension of the end fabric of the hose even in cases where the hose may be of quite correct size, and if the size should happen to be even slightly too small then the toe covering tension is much aggravated.

This undesirable tension at the stocking toe immediately sets up an under-buckling of the human toes in the stocking because of the back pressure incident to the tension in the acute angle of the stocking fabric from top to bottom around the tips of the Wearers toes.

The particular purpose of this invention is to provide a hose toe tip structure of such character that all toe tip tension is eliminated; that is deformation of the human toe in the hose foot is overcome by the provision of a comfortable, nearly straight vertical fourchette connecting the stocking top to the stocking sole entirely transversely around the toe end of the hose. That is, a fourchette-like wall which is practically as high as the thickness of the front ends of the several toes runs around the toe end of the stock-' ing foot to points well back of the big and the little toe joints to the metatarsals.

A great advantage of this fourchette toe end structure is that toe strains set up in a hose foot end of conventional manufacture involving the stated acute angle of top to sole are eliminated and wear and tear on the stocking toe and sole is avoided,

This inventional concept is in certain advancements in hosiery as set forth in the ensuing disclosure and having, with the above, additional objects and advantages as hereinafter developed, and whose construction and details of means and features incorporated therein will be made manifest in the following description of the herewith illustrative embodiment; it being understood that modifications, variations and adaptations made be resorted to within the scope, spirit and principle of the invention as more particularly claimed at the conclusion hereof.

In the broad aspect of this invention the toe end of the hose 2 incorporates the usual foot top 3 with its complementary sole 4 which in ordinary hose making meet in an acute angle at the toe edge from side to side of the foot. This acute angle entails numerous objections; the main being that there is a strong tendency of the bottoms of the stocking toes to pull the ends of inserted foot toes down and backward in an uncomfortable action which induces enlargement of the toe joints. Further, the whole end of the stocking toe is placed in an undesirable state of tension which makes for fast wear and tear.

For the purpose of completely eliminating the bad acute junction of sole and top of the stocking and producing a perpendicular end wall wholly across the stocking foot toe end and well along each side to points back of the big and little toe joints, there is incorporated in any suitable manner a connection or interbuilding which shall be herein called a fourchette 5. This fourchette is of a height from sole to top of stocking foot measured according to the thickness of the normal range of toes relative to a given size sock or stocking so that when the relative foot is inserted in the piece of hose the wall formed by the fourchette 5 will be substantially perpendicular to the sole of the foot though it may readily curve to accurately fit the curvature of the outermost surface of the inserted foot toes from one side of the foot to the other.

Figure 1 is aperspective showing the big toe side of the incorporated fourchette.

Figure 2 is a perspective showing the little toe side of the stocking foot; an end portion of the fourchette being shown unattached.

Figure 3 is a plan of the toe end. of the stocking foot.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the big toe side of the hose to clearly indicate the perpendicular relation of the fourchette.

The ends 6 of the fourchette are shown as extended well back on the foot sides so that the toe surfaces at the right and left sides of the foot also are largely covered by the perpendicular wall feature.

The stocking may be made with or without an indentation 1, into which the fourchette reaches, which separates the big toe in one pocket 8 from all the other toes in a laterally longer pocket 9.

The fourchette may be knitted or woven into the stocking fabric, or may be a separate element stitched or joined in any other manner in the stocking toe between sole and top. And, also, when made of heavier thread than in the stocking foot, it will constitute a substantial reinforcement along the toes.

What is claimed is:

1. A piece of hosiery whose toe end is characterized by a wall forming fourchette of uniform height of toe thickness from top to bottom and which extends from one side of the foot end to the other and eliminates acuteness of angle of junction between the sole of the stocking foot and the top thereof and constitutes a smooth covering free from seams and creases along the toe end of the hosiery foot.

2. The hose of claim 1; the well back of the basal the side toes.

fourchette ending joints of the phalanges of CLARE A. LAMBERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 10 Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lo'ven Apr. 17, 1923 Gastrich l May 28, 1935 Allen Apr. 18, 1933 McClusken Oct. 13, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Australia Aug. 1, 1928 

